The Week That Was - (IM - 5 weeks to go)

So last week was a bit of a let down with the chest cold getting a grip - AGAIN.

Monday Skipped the swim due to cold but did manage 50k on the turbo.

Tuesday Again skipped the swim due to cold and also playing golf - Mmmm! played awful, lost money but still enjoyed myself (very unusual if I play badly, lose money but still enjoy myself). Went to the gym for a killer interval session on the treadmill (reluctantly I may add) in the evening. It was a holiday for Chinese New Year, drove all the way into town only to find the gym closed. Oh well - went home and ended up watching "Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End" - wished I hadn't when the alarm went off at 4:30am having managed 3 hours sleep.

Wednesday 80k ride before work, first 50 minutes very unpleasant, lots of green stuff coming out of my lungs. Got into it in the end but thought about turning around three times. Ended up a minute faster than my previous best. Followed it up with an easyish 12.5k run and then off to work.

Wednesday night Paying the price for training with a chest cold - home to bed - NO SWIM this evening.

Thursday Feeling like death warmed up - no training today.

Friday Nothing again today - I only went to work because I had to do the staff wages - not feeling well - may have to hit the antibiotics soon but I'm trying to avoid constantly falling back on them.

Saturday Up at 4:30a.m. and on the bike by 5:30. Met the group at MegaMall at 6:30 and then headed for Port Dickson and the scheduled 186k ride. Didn't feel great but thought I'd be OK. After half an hour with the group it was clear that something was drastically wrong with my lungs and an underlying "pneumonia feeling" welled up. I apologised to the group and headed for home - it was a huge struggle just to get back.

70k and 2hr10min was all that I logged today, it probably should have been nothing and things were really starting to look grim health-wise - not to mention a level of depression was settling in. A bit to eat and then spent the remainder of the morning sleeping - felt better after that.

Sunday 31k was scheduled and as I felt a little better after loads of sleep I decided to turn up but with the proviso that I'd bail and go home as soon as things took a turn for the worse - after about 5k I reckoned. Also Shilpa and the boys were back from India this morning so there was plenty of motivation to quit early and shoot home.

However, a miracle occurred, the pace set wasn't too tough and I managed the 11k to the turnaround point feeling pretty good. Coming back, although the usual tiredness and pain set in the legs and hips, my lungs were feeling good. I grabbed a drink and much to most people's amazement but mainly to my own I actually headed out for a loop of Double Hill (aptly named for the obvious reasons). Finished it all (32k) in a few minutes under 3 hours and most importantly felt great. STRANGE.

Once again I've dropped another Kg but I've really been off on my distance and hours training this week. I need two really solid 25+ hour training weeks now before a well deserved taper. Still a bit of a chest cold so I will focus on ensuring that clears up as the highest priority.

4 more weeks to go and 2 weeks of "full-on" misery before the taper starts.